Game apparatus.



Patented out. 2.8-, |902. ma. GRAHAM.'

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

ROBERT J. GRAHAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

` GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '71 1,959, datedOctober 28, 1902. Application iled February 11, 1902. Serial No. 93,519.(No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain Improvement in Garne Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and amusing game apparatus, and has forits object to provide a game-board divided in eighty-eightalternately-colored squares which shall be used in connection witheighty-eight counters, said counters being one color upon one side andanother color upon the other side, a portion of these counters beingnumbered upon one side or color and an equal portion of counters beingnumbered with the same number upon sides having the opposite color.

In the center of the board two squares of one` color are numbered andtwo squares of the opposite color are also numbered with the samenumber, the object of the game being to play so that one player willturn down the other players numbers and turn up his own, and also it isthe object of each player to get a counter with his color uppermost onas many of the four numbered squares in the center of the board aspossible.

lVith these ends in view this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and thenspecifically designated hy the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, the constructionand operation will now be described in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication, in which-Figure l isa plan View of the game-board. Fig. 2 is a perspective Viewof one of the numbered counters, showing one side colored and numberedand the other side of the counter with a dierent color without a number.Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, showing the two faces of the samecounter, only with an opposite color to that shown in Fig. 2 numbered.Fig. 4 is a similar View to Figs. 2 and 3, showing the two faces of theblank counter, one face being colored and the other face not colored.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, A represents a board madeof cardboard, wood, or any other suitable material, which may be dividedthrough the center and hinged, so as to fold for the convenience ofstoring. Upon the upper surface of this board are representedeighty-eight alternately-colored squares or blocks. These squares are soarranged as to form an oc-tagonal figure, there being three squares ot'the same color in line upon each side of the board and three squares ofthe opposite color in line at the top and the bottom ofv the board, asshown in Fig. 1. In the center of the board a square will be formed bythe four central squares, two of these squares being colored one colorand the other two an opposite color. Each of these four central squareshave figures 25 represented thereon, as shown. Used in connection withthis board are eighty-eight counters or chips-one for each square uponthe board. Each of these chips or counters is colored, one color uponone side and another color upon the opposite side, the colorscorresponding to the colors used upon the board. Twenty of thesecounters or chips are numbered upon one side or one color and twentymore chips are numbered the saine with the same numbers, only upon theopposite side, or the side with the opposite color. These two series ofnumbers commence with l and run up to and include l0. The other ten ofeach series of twenty numbered counters or chips are numbered from l0 upto 60 by the increase of five-as, for instance, 15, 20, 25, and so on upto 60, inclusive. 'Flins if the colors used are red and blue, forinstance, there would be twenty chips or counters numbered from l up toand including 10 by.an increase of one and from l0 up to and including60 by an increase of ive,the numbers being upon the blue side of thechip and the opposite or red side of the chips being blank. Then therewould be twenty more chips numbered in exactly the same way, only thenumbers upon those chips would be upon the red side and the blue sidewould be blank. This would leave forty-eight chips or counters blankupon each side.

In starting the game the counters or chips are equally divided by thetwo players, each player taking their twenty numbered ones,

IOO

according to the color, and twenty-four of the blanks, making eachplayer have fortyfour chips or counters to start the game with. Each ofthe players will then place a blank counter 0r chip over each of thenumbers of their color in the center of the board. Then each player inturn places a counter or chip upon the board, of course with his coloralways uppermost, and these chips or counters may be placed in anysquare desired, and the object of the game is for one player to so placehis chips or counters that it will entitle him to turn over certain ofthe opposing players counters,which will thus turn his color uppermost.A player can only turn over his opponents counters or chips when saidplayer places one of his vcounters or chips so as to bring one or moreof his opponents counters or chips between two of his in a straightline. For instance, as shown in Fig. l, B represents a blue chip, and Crepresents two red chips or counters. chips places one of his chips inthe square marked D he would be entitled to turn over the two red chipsmarked C. Each would bring the blue side, or his color, uppermost, andthe player can turn the opponents color down at any angle or linewherein the opponents color comes between a counter or chip of theplayers color already on the board and the chip or counter about to beplaced by the player. Thus the game proceeds until the wholeeighty-eight squares of the board are filled with the counters or chips.Then the numbers uppermost of each color upon the counters or chips arecounted and added together and to this total is added the total of thefour central numbers which are covered by the saine-colored chips-as,for instance, if three of the squares numbered 25 in the center of theboard were covered by chips having the blue side uppermost the playerhaving the blue chips would be entitled to add seventy-five to the countupon his counters or chips and the opposing player would be entitled toadd twenty-five. A player is not compelled to play a numbered counter orchip unless he desires to do so as long as such player has any blankcounters or chips not Now if the player having the blue,

played; but when all of the players blanks are played then the numberedones must be played; but there is no compulsion to play the numberedones in rotation, but any one can be played that the player chooses. Itis possible for a game to be won by any number from one to tive hundredand thirty points or it is possible to have a blocked game.

This game is a game of skill and not a game of chance, and the oftenerplayed the more the player becomes skilled in the fine points of thegame, and by strictly following the rules of this game it willi not onlybe found amusing and full of points of study, but at the same time itcauses one to count sums together without the aid of pencil and paper,thus making the gaine both instructive and amusing.

Of course slight modifications could be made in this apparatus withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. A

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- In a gameapparatus, a board, a geometrical figure represented on the face ot' theboard, said ligure composed of eighty-eight alternately-colored squares,four squares in the center of the figure, two of one color and two ofthe other being numbered, eighty-eight chips or counters, said chips orcounters being colored one color upon one side and an opposite color onthe opposite side, the colors corresponding to the colors used upon theboard,

-twenty of said chips or counters being numbered upon the same side orcolor from l up to and including l0 by an increase of one, and from 10toand including (50by an increase of five, twenty chips or countersnumbered in the same manner only upon the opposite-color side, thebalance of said chips being blank upon each sido, s ubstantiallyasdescribed and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT J. GRAHAM.

Witnesses:

H. B. HALLOCK, L. W. MORRISON.

